Quakers Notemeal: Penn v. Cornell (M. Lax)

Here is a new feature for the Buzz called Quaker Notemeal, where we'll cycle through some important statistics heading into an upcoming Penn sporting event. The first Quaker Notemeal will go over some key numbers that may decide Saturday’s Penn-Cornell men’s lacrosse matchup.

One- Always good to focus on number one, right? In this case, an important thing to look out for will be end of game situations. This season, the Red and Blue have three wins by two goals or less, including two one-goal victories.

On the other hand, Cornell’s only loss this season came in a one-goal affair against Bucknell on Wednesday, as the Big Red gave up a game-winning goal with exactly one minute to play. If the game is close at the end, Penn may have a slight edge over No. 2 Cornell.

Three- It is only fitting that both team’s attacks are led by seniors wearing the same number. Tim Schwalje was Penn’s leading scorer returning from last season and has picked up from where he left off, leading the Quakers with 11 assists and 21 points.

For Cornell, it is all about Rob Pannell. His resume speaks for itself, as he has won Ivy League Player of the Year twice, been named first team All-American, and is a two-time winner of the Jack Turnbull Division I National Attackman of the Year. This season, he has recovered from a season-ending injury early last season to lead the Ancient Eight in both assists and points per game.

Ten- The 10-goal threshold is another stat that will strongly factor into Saturday’s outcome. Cornell came into this week leading the NCAA in goals per game but began the week with the loss to Bucknell. An important thing to note from that loss is that it was also the first time this season the Big Red have been held to fewer than 10 goals.

10 will also be important for Penn. The Quakers are 4-0 this year when holding teams to fewer than 10 goals, compared to just 1-1 when allowed 10+ goals. If Penn wants to upset Cornell for the first time in seven attempts, they will likely need to hold the Big Red’s high-powered offense to single-digit goals.

.444- That is Penn’s scoring percentage when it has a man-up advantage. The Quakers lead the Ivy League in man-up scoring percentage. While Cornell averages four penalties a game, – fifth in the conference – the Big Red also kill off 78 percent of their penalties, good for second best in the Ancient Eight.

20 to 10- Penn has outscored opponents 20-10 in the fourth quarter this season. This is a large reason why Penn has gone from 0-4 in one-goal games last season to 2-0 in the same situations this year. The 10-goal advantage in the fourth quarter mirrors Penn’s overall scoring margin, 62-52.